Girl No 10
by meeiwen
Summary: Wrong love. Wrong place. Wrong time. AU.
1. Chapter 1

I just need to get this out of my head, so I can continue peacefully with Under Hinata's Skin. Lol. Thanks!

* * *

She got ready as soon as she found out that he was there at the club. She knew he would ask for her again, the Girl Number 10, just like he did the first time... the second time, and the third. She concentrated on her reflection in the mirror as she glued a fake eyelash on her right lash line and cursed when the light bulbs on her dresser suddenly flickered and died.

'Oh damn. When on earth are they going to fix this thing?' She thought.

She continued with her left eyelash, then curled them with a thick black mascara. Her supple lips were tinted pink, just like how he wanted them to be. All that's left was that tedious looking wig that was the same color as her lips- pink. It reminded her of cherry blossoms during spring.

She brushed her artificial hair a couple of times, straightening some tangles. She was about to leave the dressing room, when she remembered something he had requested the last time he was there. So she retrieved a small round container from her dresser and applied on her eyes what was inside.

She stared at herself on the mirror. She looked... different. Somehow the pink hair and the color of her contacts looked perfect together. The request was still a puzzle for her, but as they say, 'what the customer wants, the customer gets, as long as he pays for it, and it's not sex', so she just shrugged it off and made her way outside the dressing room.

When she entered the VIP Room, he was already there, drunk and slumped on a long red couch, with a bottle of beer on his right hand. His eyes wore the same gloom he had last time, and it troubled her. She looked at him with worried eyes as he downed his drink. She was already standing on the small round stage in the middle when he noticed her. She could tell the hint of surprise in his eyes when he saw her with her pink hair and new set of green eyes.

'H-Hi." She was still incredibly shy for a stripper. It was only her second week after all. And the blonde man in front of her was her first customer. Only customer.

Despite being one of the prettiest girls, no one seemed to be interested with her, because she looked 'too inexperienced', until the Boss decided to get her a make over. Boss wanted her to look sweet yet seductive at the same time, so she had him wore a pink wig and black contact lenses to hide her real self. It looked like that it didn't work at first- she was still left dancing in the corner with no one to pick her for a private dancing, until he showed up. She didn't know what caught his attention, that he offered to pay double if she would spend the whole night with him in his VIP room. She danced for him for a few minutes, then they just talked the entire night. And during that time, she thought she made the biggest and most fatal sin in the bible of stripping- she fell in love with her customer.

"D-Did I had you waiting for too long?" She continued, when the man didn't respond.

"Not at all." He answered, eyes still fixed to the barely clothed female in front of her. He took another gulp of his drink to drown the uneasiness he suddenly felt in his pants.

"That's good. I, umm, I prepared something.. for you."

In fact, she had been practicing the entire time. It was something she asked the other girls to teach her. She knew he would come back, probably with the same sad eyes he had before, and she wanted to try something to cheer him up a bit, so she learned a few new moves that, according to the girls, 'would make his mind go crazy and his pants tighter.'

He leaned back on the couch as he watched her sway. His eyes followed slender fingers move around her skin- from her face, down her neck, to her ample chest. He swallowed hard when one hand started to cup her breasts while the other moved further down reaching her see-through g-string.

She could tell he was enjoying the view by the way he glued his eyes on her, and she felt relieved. She continued to roll her hips seductively to the beat of the catchy music and turned around and slowly unclasped the lock of the only piece of garment that covered her breasts. Her bra silently fell on the stage, and she suddenly froze. She had never unhooked her bra for anyone before, She must have been too caught up with her emotion. But the look on his face was priceless, so she decided to go on.

His jaw dropped at the perfection she was trying to hide between her arms, He could tell just by looking at them her cup size and how amazingly soft they could feel in his hands. Oh, how he wanted them in his hands. He wanted to taste them, too. He shifted when he felt his pants tightened a bit more.

She swayed down slowly to her knees and crawled like a lioness ready to pounce her prey. She sat in fron her only audience with her legs spread wide open. She grabbed the beer bottle from his hands and took a few drink. She let a few drops spill down her chest as she pressed the cold bottle against her flushed skin. The bottle caressed her cheeks, and it ran down her neck and rubbed against her sternum, being squeezed by her breasts. That lucky bottle continued to move down her torso where she spilled its remaining contents, dripping her wet from waist down. She casually rubbed the bottle against her femininity before returning it to its owner.

He grabbed not only the bottle but her hand as well, pulling her into a deep hungry kiss before she could even stand up to finish her show. She could only hold unto his shoulder for support as she returned his kisses with the same level of intensity. They were both panting when the kiss broke.

"You're not allowed to touch me." She said softly in between breaths.

"I know." And he pulled her for another kiss hungrier than ever before.

* * *

He woke up the next day with his head feeling like it was stepped over by a rhino. He gradually got up, his hands on his head, digging down the memory lane of what happened the night before. And more importantly, "Where the hell am I?"

The room was dark and windowless, but the digital clock on the top of the nightstand told him he was already late for work.

'Damn.'

He ran a hand through his blonde locks still trying to figure out how he ended up in the Victorian Love Motel, which he supposed was the name of the place as stated in the small pack of unused condom beside the clock.

He did remember having a fight with Sakura,..again- the tenth time that week- and going home to drink alone by himself, then he remembered heading to the place called The Sweaty Hole to drink some more. From there his memories were all a blur, but he recalled something.. something pink.

Then it hit him, "Oh shit!" He peeked under his sheets and found himself completely naked.

He turned his head slowly, anxiously to his left, and found a big lump of something covered by the white sheets. He almost fell from the bed when the sheets suddenly shifted, uncovering the person underneath the blanket. To his surpsrise, she wasn't anything pink. By that, he meant the hair.

Black strands appeared darker against her pale skin. She had a very innocent face, and her eyes, when she opened them, was the purest he had ever seen. He couldn't remember taking home a goddess last night.

"Good morning, Naruto-sama. Did you sleep well?" She spoke.

"I-I.. Well, yeah." His eyes were still fixed on her, contemplating how she ended up with him on bed. He turned his gaze aimlessly, looking for the pink-haired girl he picked up from the club. "Have you seen a girl with pink hair, green eyes?"

She looked at him confused for a moment, "Oh, I'm sorry. I took off the pink wig after our.., fifth round." She explained. She bit her lower lip and a soft blush appeared on her cheeks. "I removed my contacts, too, on the seventh."

He left his mouth hanging open in disbelief, He slept with someone else aside from Sakura. The stripper whom he just picked up because she had pink hair was a real beauty. And lastly, they did it more than five times, breaking a personal record.

"Wow." He unconsciously uttered.

"What?" She gently pulled herself to sit down, so she could face him properly. She clutched the white fabric to cover her chest.

"Nothing." He chuckled, "I just didn't expect that I would wake up with a completely different person."

"I'm sorry. It was you who said that the wig was getting in the way. I can put it on again if you want."

"No, no, It's okay." He did remember one time that night how he loved the feel of black strands raining down his face. "You're... really beautiful. I'm sorry, what's your name?" For he only knew her as the girl number ten from the list.

She looked down, embarrassed of being called 'beautiful'. She was blushing furiously, as she answered, "Hinata."

Her name was beautiful, too, he thought to himself. He watched her face reddened under his gaze and how her soft lips would slightly twist whenever she started to bite them. He wanted to taste those lips again. He lowered down his eyes to the curves she unsuccessfully hid under her blanket, and thought he could go for another round. His lewd thinking was stopped by the continuous ringing of his mobile phone.

Hinata watched him curiously. How his face turned pale the moment he heard the voice on the other end of the line. How a small smile formed on his lips as he uttered the words "No, I was the one who did wrong,' and how his face suddenly brightened when he said 'I'll see you later.' She didn't know why, but her heart suddenly became heavy despite the emptiness it's feeling.

He got up from the bed, wrapping his lower half with a towel. "I'm sorry, but I.. I have to go." He turned his gaze away, his eyes avoidig hers. He felt like a jerk, but he had to leave now and see Sakura.

"I see." Her face continued to be emotionless. The blood stains on the sheets suddenly appeared interesting, and she didn't look at him even once as he spoke.

"I'm really sorry. Would you like to get something to eat first? We can call room service. I'll just take shower," He was nervous.

And guilty.

"No, thank you. Naruto-sama, I'll be leaving, too, as soon as you pay for my show last night," She continued, even if the lump on her throat never seemed to disappear.

"Oh. Oh yeah, I almost forgot." He picked up his pants from the floor ahd retrieved his leather wallet from its back pocket. He paused for a moment after placing a couple of paperbills on the nightstand. "I'm really sorry." He didn't really know what he was sorry about, but he felt like he fucked her up literally and figuratively.

"What are you apologizing for? That amount you paid is thrice my talent fee." She looked up at him with a soft smile on her face.

He turned his gaze away and headed straight to the bathroom.

When he got out of the shower, she was no longer there, but his money was left untouched, still resting quietly on top of the nightstand.

* * *

"I really thought I wasn't able to do it. His veins were so tiny, I swore a gauge 24 wouldn't work. I had to ask the chief to help me-"

Naruto stopped on his tracks when he noticed that it suddenly turned quiet. He turned around and saw the frustration clearly written on the face of the woman he was with. "Hey, hey, I'm listening! You called Shizune, then what happened?" He put his arms around her shoulders and persuaded her to continue walking,

She was still frowning, but she continued. "Hey, what's wrong? You seem to be spacing out lately." The pink-haired girl asked him when she was done with her story.

"Nothing. Maybe I'm just tired. My deadline's this week, and I don't know what to do with the chapter yet." He rubbed the bridge of his nose to emphasize his tiredness.

Green eyes stared at him sympathetically, and she leaned closer to him and snaked her arms around his neck. "Hey, would you like me to help you relax a bit?" She winked at him naughtily, not minding the eyes glancing their way for doing PDA on a bright sunny afternoon and in front of the children's park.

He slightly chuckled at her boldness, and he kissed her on the lips, but she ended it quickly to check her pager.

"Shizune-sama's looking for me. Could you wait here? I'll just give her a quick call,"

"Sure." He watched as she walked a few feet away from him and dialed on her mobile phone. He knew it wouldn't be a quick call, so he walked towards the park and sat on one of the unoccupied metal swings. He wasn't really tired or anything, but thoughts of the black-haired goddess had been occupying his mind lately. The thing was, she never left his conscious and subconscious mind. He was just thinking about the girl he met five years ago more often now than he used to. He tried to see her two months after their last encounter, but the boss told him she resigned. He wanted to see her again. Not for sex. He just wanted to know how she was doing.

The feeling of her touch never left his skin.

He hoped she was doing well.

"That's my seat."

He looked up and found a pair of blue eyes staring back at him. It was a small boy and he appeared to be annoyed that someone was sitting on his spot. He had his arms crossed around his chest. Naruto found it funny how the boy reminded him of himself when he was young. It's just that, the boy had black hair.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know." Naruto grinned as he gave up the swing to the boy.

"Menma!"

Naruto froze as he laid his eyes on the woman who was dashing towards them. Her long black hair was tied up in a braid, but the strands still reminded him of how it appeared when sprawled over his pillow, She was wearing a pair of glasses, but the eyes behind them still held the same purity it had five years ago.

"Menma, how many times do I have to tell you, you don't own that swing."

Even when mad, her voice was still the same- soft and calming.

"I-I'm sorry. He's a really naughty kid." She said, still looking at the boy.

"Hinata."

She turned her gaze to the man in front of her and it was her turn to freeze. "U-Uzumaki-san?"

Her stuttering was also the same.

"It's great to see you! How are you?" Naruto was ecstatic to see her, but his excitememt died down when she didn't answer right away.

"I, umm.. I'm fine. Thank you. You?" Hinata avoided his gaze.

"Still the same. But i'm working now under a different publisher." He snickered.

Hinata gently smiled. "That's good."

"How about you? I tried to see you again at the-"

"Please, Uzumaki-san." Hinata shook her head and placed her hands on the boy's shoulders.

"Oh. Okay. Well, I tried to see you, but they said you no longer worked there."

"I resigned. I had too." Her grip on the boy's shoulder tightened a bit.

"My mom's a chef, and she's really good! Her lasagna is my favorite." The boy exclaimed.

"Really? A chef? Wow! I want to try it, too. Menma, is it?"

The boy smiled widely as he nodded. Naruto noticed how Hinata pulled the boy closer.

"So, you're a mom now. He's really cute! How old is he?"

Hinata gave him a piercing look. "He's five."

Naruto saw the look in her eyes and his smile slowly faded. He stared back. "I see." He cleared his throat. "He has beautiful eyes. Did he got them from his dad?" He asked knowingly.

She paused. Her gaze nor her voice didn't falter even a bit. "He doesn't have one."

"Hinata."

"We have to go."

"Wait!"

"Come on, Menma. Mom has shift tonight."

"Hinata, is he mine-"

"I'm sorry, We really have to go."

Naruto was about to follow, when he heard Sakura calling him from behind.

Naruto felt his whole body shut down. He could only watch the two of them leave, with the little boy waving at him behind his mother's back.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: First of all, I would like to thank everyone who reviewed, followed, and added this story to their favourites, those who liked the story, and even those who didn't. I appreciate all the comments, and I dedicate this next chapter to all of you. Second, I would like to apologize if the first chapter left you with a lot of questions. I hope that this one holds some, if not all, of the answers you are looking for.

I've done some editing on chapter one- mostly grammar errors, but I did change the son's name from Minato to Menma. I think it suits him better. I also removed the 'Oneshot' tag at the summary.

Many thanks!

6-6-14: I did some changes regarding the blood type. Thanks to **phone** and especially to **Flameraven1 **for helping me out. Pls see footnote for details.

* * *

She casually inserted the key into the keyhole and pushed the huge door open.

"I'm home." She said in a low voice. She took off her shoes and hung her coat behind the door as her green eyes scanned the pitch-dark room. She cursed when she hit her knee on something that's possibly the coffee table, but still didn't bother to turn on the lights, feeling too tired to do so. It was already two in the morning, and she just came home after a morning of doctors' rounds, three emergency surgeries, and a whole afternoon shift at the emergency room. She had a very, very long day. She had done a high workload the entire day, and she still felt that she had forgotten something important.

Gently massaging her knees, she walked into the dining area to get some ice. She finally decided to switch on the pendant lights after hitting her knee the second time. Her jaw dropped as her gaze fell on the contents on top of the glass dining table, which silently reminded her of that one important thing she couldn't believe she forgot that day. She picked up a large bouquet of red roses, careful not to hit any of the tableware that were meticulously placed on the table, and read the small card that said, 'Happy Anniversary, Sakura-chan!'

* * *

He woke up feeling gentle kisses caressed his lips. He gradually opened his eyes and saw her sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Happy anniversary, Naruto." She said, a guilty smile appeared on her face. "I'm so sorry I'm late."

He looked straight into her eyes. There were so many things he wanted to say to her,

'Why were you so late?'

'Do you know how long I waited?'

'Do you know how much I prepared for this?'

'Do you even care?'

'Do you how much prepare waited late? Wait, that doesn't sound right.'

Words inside his head started to stumble against each other. He wanted to scream at her and be angry. But he only let out a deep sigh, calming himself down before anger could consume him completely. It wasn't like he was not expecting it. This had happened before anyway.

He reached his hand and cupped her cheeks, drying hot tears with his thumb. "Did you just get home? How's work?" He said, placing a kiss on her forehead. "Happy anniversary."

* * *

Sakura carefully placed the pot roast in the middle of the table.

"Mmm, this smells delicious, Naruto. I didn't know you can cook something like this."

"Really? I did the same recipe on our anniversary last year." He answered nonchalantly.

Sakura lowered his eyes. "Oh, is that so?" Why couldn't she remember? "I-I'm really sorry, Naruto."

"Hey, I told you it's alright. We're celebrating now, right? Although, eating pot roast at three in the morning really isn't my idea for an anniversary dinner." He grinned.

"It's not like I forgot." She lied. "We were just so busy at the hospital, I couldn't go home early."

"It's okay! What's important now is you, me, having our own little time together. And of course, this pot roast." His answer got Sakura cracking up. "Hey, my article got published in a sports magazine."

"Wow! That's amazing! I'm so proud of you!" She reached for him and kissed him in the lips. "This is a double celebration, then. Do you have a copy? I wanna see it!"

"Yeah! They sent me a copy today. I really couldn't believe it. I thought they will just keep ignoring my entries." He handed her the magazine, but even before she could flip the first page, her phone rang.

"Oh, It's Ino." She hesitated for a bit.

"Why don't you answer it?" Naruto downed a half-glass of red wine, also swallowing in the process a lump that formed in his throat. Sakura finished the call after a few minutes, whereas Naruto finished the whole bottle of wine.

"Sorry about that. We have this patient at the hospital that's severely anemic. He needs transfusion, but this boy has this rare blood type and we couldn't find a match."

He continued eating as he half-heartedly listened to Sakura's hospital stories. He watched her as she became engulfed with her story-telling, that she already forgot about the magazine. It's during these times that he remembered her the most- Hinata, the girl number 10. She always listened when he talked, sluggish or not. She would laugh at his jokes; make intelligible comments to his opinions. He had her full attention, and she made him feel special. It could be because he was paying her, he had thought. But when she left that motel room that day, without taking a single penny, he thought that maybe it was something else.

"I'd be willing to donate a bag, if only we shared the same blood type. But I'm a B-positive. Do you know yours, Naruto?" Sakura asked.

"No, I don't." He answered, his attention coming back to his fiancée. "And even if I do, I still wouldn't let those needles near me."

"Such a scaredy cat." Sakura laughed. "You know what? He has the same eye color as you!" Sakura exclaimed.

"Really? Then he'll grow up very good-looking." Naruto let out a chuckle.

"Oh, he probably would. He's a cute little kid! Too bad he has such a weird name." Sakura smirked, as Naruto poured her another glass of a newly-opened bottle of red wine. "I mean, why would anyone name their child after a condiment?"

"A condiment?" Naruto's hands suddenly stopped moving.

"Unbelievable, right? Who would name her son 'Menma'?"

* * *

"Thanks for your hard work. We'll see you again tomorrow."

"Thank you for taking care of me today." Hinata bowed to the restaurant manager and left through the kitchen's backdoor. It was seven in the morning, and it's time for her to go home. But home wasn't where she was heading.

She rode the bus and found a seat near the window. It's going to be a thirty-minute ride from the restaurant to her destination, so she decided to take a nap. Sleep had become a hard-earned need since she started working at the restaurant, and given her current situation, a short nap could do magic to her nerves.

She closed her eyes, but sleep never came. Things that happened four days ago kept repeating inside her mind:

"_He has a condition called Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency, or simply G6PD Deficiency. This is hereditary, and not at all that rare."_

_HInata's body tensed as beautiful green eyes stared back at her. She silently watched the woman's pink lips form each words and the way her well-manicured fingers tucked pink strands behind her ears. Her whole person reminded Hinata of a past she was trying to forget. But there's no time to be distracted, especially when it's her son's life that's at stake. _

"_This happened because he got exposed to a chemical that triggered the destruction of his red blood cells. Do you remember any objects that he might have played with or perhaps ingested?"_

"_I-I don't. I went to work that morning and left him with my cousin's wife." Hinata lowered his head, suddenly feeling incompetent as a mother. "Is he going to be okay?" Hinata asked worried. _

"_Except for the RBC count which is still very low, his other lab results are doing fine. But we would still require him to undergo a blood transfusion."_

"_I'll donate. I'll do everything, Haruno-sensei!" _

_The doctor nodded her head and checked the patient's file. "It seems that your son has a very rare blood type. His is B-negative.(1)"_

"_H-How rare is it? As far as I know, my blood type is A-positive. Can I donate?" Hinata asked frantically._

"_I'm sorry, Hyuuga-san. This blood type can only receive blood that's also Rh-negative in nature." The doctor's eyes became sullen. "I'll admit that Rh-negative blood are really hard to find, but don't worry, we'll do our best. We'll get back to you as soon as we find a matching donor. By the way, have you tried to contact Menma-kun's father? He might have the blood we are looking for." _

"_W-Well..."_

The bus abruptly stopped, and Hinata jerked her head forward, suddenly opening her eyes.

"Watch it, dumbass!" She heard the bus driver shouting. She looked around and saw the familiar white building ahead, so she dropped off to the next stop.

Hinata entered the hospital as soon as the doors slid open.

'I haven't received anything yet from the doctors. How am I going to find a donor?' She thought of finding 'him' multiple times, but she just didn't know where to start. She barely knew him. And how could she ask something from him? She's the one who said that Menma didn't have a father. She inwardly cursed herself for being such a bitch- literally. Figuratively. Both.

A loud 'ding' signalled that she already reached the fifth floor where Menma's room was. She stepped off the elevator, continuing to a large corridor, but suddenly stopped when she found her sister Hanabi running towards her, crying.

"Hinata-neesan!" Hanabi said in between sobs.

Hinata's face suddenly turned pale, and her feet and legs reacted on their own. She ran to Menma's room as fast as she could.

* * *

"This lasagna is super good! Thanks, mom!" The dark-haired boy said.

Hinata smiled broadly as she wiped Menma's pale lips with a napkin. She turned her head and glared at Hanabi. "Don't scare me like that!"

"I'm so sorry, Onee-san! I didn't mean to scare you. I was just so happy when the nurse told me the news." Hanabi explained.

Hinata smirked. "Try controlling your emotions sometimes. You'll give people the wrong idea." She stood up from sitting on her son's bed and hugged her sister. "But, thank you so much, Hanabi. That's really a great news. I really prayed so hard for it."

"Me, too." Hanabi hugged her back. "I've always prayed for someone to miraculously show up and volunteer to donate some blood for Menma-kun."

Hinata eyed her questioningly. "Someone volunteered? Who?"

"I don't know. The nurse that came in this morning just said that someone volunteered to donate blood at the Blood Service Department downstairs."

"Really..."

"She said it was a guy, but didn't give out his name. She said that he's pretty handsome, but she could be joking." Hanabi grinned. "But he must be a really kind person, if he's willing to donate to someone he doesn't even know."

"Yeah, he must be." Hinata felt her breathing became shallow and her heartbeat, faster, thinking that the man downstairs was probably that someone she 'barely knew'.

* * *

One arm covered his eyes as Naruto rested his head against the wall. He was seated on an empty bench just outside the Blood Service Department, where he just came from.

"Oh my God, I feel so dizzy."

He didn't know if it was because they just extracted four hundred and seventy millilitres of blood from him or because he feared needles to the bone.

"Are you alright?"

He put his arms down and opened his eyes. Naruto smiled.

"Are you okay?"

It was the nurse he talked to when he asked for directions.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks." He sat up and straightened his shirt, trying to look cool.

"Are you sure? You look a bit pale." She asked.

"Maybe just a bit dizzy." He chuckled.

The lady gave him a warm smile. "Let me go get you some water. It'll help." Then she left.

"Do I really look that terrible?" Naruto uttered when he was all alone once again. His vision started to turn black, so he rested his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. "This is so uncool." He sighed.

"Are you alright?"

'That was fast.' He thought, expecting the nurse from a while ago. He slowly opened his eyes and steadied his gaze. The eyes staring back at him was the purest he had ever seen. For a moment, he forgot to breathe.

"Hinata.."

"H-Hello, Uzumaki-san."

* * *

He emptied the bottle's content in just one swig. He could feel the ice-cold liquid move down his throat and to his empty stomach, but the faint citrusy flavour didn't leave his tongue.

"Thanks for giving me this." Naruto said, pertaining to the bottle of energy drink he was holding. "You really didn't have to."

"It's all I could do, Uzumaki-san, to thank you for saving Menma's life." Hinata said softly.

"I didn't save his life. I just gave him some blood. That's all. And call me Naruto. Uzumaki-san is too formal."

"Alright, N-Naruto-san." She smiled.

"You can also drop the honorifics."

"Okay."

"H-How's... Menma?" He asked.

"He's doing fine. Doesn't really look like he's sick. He's such an energetic kid... and a naughty one, too. The nurse told me that he tried to hide under the bed last night, but he forgot that his arm was hooked up to an IV."

Naruto couldn't help but to laugh out loud. He wiped a few tears that formed on the corner of his eyes from laughing too hard. He watched as Hinata did the same thing, and he anxiously ran a hand through his hair. "You know, there's something else you can do to thank me."

"H-How?"

"You can tell me the truth." He looked at her with eyes that were almost pleading.

Hinata just looked at him with worried eyes and took a deep breath. "What- What are you talking about?"

"Come on! I'm not dumb, Hinata!" His voice got louder this time, causing a few heads to turn their way. Naruto noticed and toned down his voice in almost a whisper. "I think I already know the answer to my question. Come on, do you want me to think that it's just a coincidence that we happen to have the same blood type? (2) How many people you know have a blood type of B-Negative?! And his age! His eyes! And I'm not saying this to scare you, but I think he's growing up looking more like me!" He let out a deep sigh. "Okay, the last one's a joke... I...I just want to hear it straight from you. Is Menma my son?"

He watched her hands grasp the hem of her skirt tightly.

"It's not like I'm going to take him away from you or something. But I think I have the right to know." He said calmly.

"The thing that happened to us many years ago," Hinata started. "It was all a mistake. When you didn't come back at the club, I had the idea that you already made up with Sakura-san. I don't want to bother you anymore. I don't want to trouble you about something that was a result of a mistake I did because I wasn't thinking straight."

Naruto clenched his jaw. It was a mistake they BOTH made, he thought.

"But to answer your question, yes, he's yours. Menma is your son."

It's the answer he was expecting, yet hearing every word gave him that overwhelming feeling. He rubbed his face with his hands, and he started to feel dizzy again. "Wow."

The two of them remained silent for a while. "See, it wasn't that hard to say. What's with all the drama at the playground last month?" Naruto said when he finally felt strong enough to speak.

"I told you, I don't want to bother you." Hinata felt her blood pressure rising, and her voice became firm. "And so what if I told you then? What are you going to do about it, when Sakura-san was just right behind you?"

Naruto didn't know how to respond. "Hey calm down. I'm sorry." He said sincerely.

"A-And I also didn't know how to react. I never thought I would see you again." There was sadness in her voice that made Naruto's chest tighten.

"Me, too."

"I met her." Hinata broke the awkward silence first. "Sakura-san. I mean, Haruno-sensei. She's one of Menma's doctors." She smiled at the irony of the situation. "She really looks nice. How are things with her?"

Naruto sighed, putting both arms on top of his head. "Still the same. She's busy as always. But at least now she makes sure to come home after her shift. She forgot about our anniversary this year, too."

"I see.. Sorry to hear that. But don't be so hard on her. I can see how dedicated she is with her work. With Menma. I'm really glad she's taking care of him."

"I know that. But I can't help but wish she could also be dedicated to me, too. I'm her boyfriend, you know, for seven years." Sadness was evident in his voice. "How about you? I mean, how are you?"

"I'm fine." She answered briefly.

"Really, how are you?" He asked once again, with all sincerity he could gather from head to toe.

Hinata looked into his eyes and smiled. "Still getting by. The restaurant I'm working for pays me well. It's not as big as what I get from stripping, though," She paused, "but it's enough to give Menma a decent meal."

"Oh, right. You're a chef now." It had been a while since they last had that kind of conversation, and he had to admit that it made him feel light. Despite everything that happened, he still felt comfortable around her. Like he could say anything and wouldn't be judged.

"That's not entirely true. I'm just a kitchen helper. I told Menma a thousand times, but he just wouldn't listen."

That made Naruto crack up. "Well, how about your dad? How's he?"

The question made Hinata's eyes wide. "H-How did you know about that?"

"I told you I tried to see you again. The Boss said you resigned, then he told me some things about you. About your dad. Your sister. Your pet dog."

"I didn't have a pet dog." She frowned.

"I know. I'm just kidding."

She laughed out loud, to his surprise. It was the first time he saw her laugh like that. He had no idea that the twinkle in her eyes and the sound of her laughter could be so.. mesmerizing.

"He died."

"What?" Naruto's musing was immediately cut short by her words.

"My father died three years ago. His body couldn't take it anymore. Even with the medications, the doctors couldn't save him. But I guess he wanted it that way. He had fought that disease for five years."

"I-I see. I'm sorry."

"That's alright."

They just stayed silent for a while, as Naruto played with the empty bottle he was holding, while Hinata just seated equally quiet beside him playing with tips of her hair.

"Hey, Hinata." He glanced at her sideways.

"Y-Yes?"

"Would it be alright?"

"Huh?"

"I would like to see Menma."

* * *

Hinata stared at the door, not knowing whether to knock first or just enter casually just like she always used to. It was her son's hospital room after all. She held the doorknob and moved a shaking hand to turn it, but she stopped.

'What will I tell him? Is this even the right time?' More and more questions started to flood her mind. She was about to let go of the knob, when she felt another hand-strong and warm- covered hers.

She gazed at the person whom the hand belonged to, and blushed.

"I promise. I won't say anything stupid. I just really want to see him." Naruto said.

"A-Alright."

She took a deep breath and pushed the door open.

"Menma, sweetie, I would like you to meet someone."

* * *

1 According to sources, less than 2% of the population has a B-negative blood type. That's why it's still considered rare, like the bloodtype AB-.

2 Sources say that Naruto's blood type is B. I just changed it here to AB- for dramatic purposes. I'm also not an expert when it comes to blood types and genetics, but with what I have researched, there's a 25% chance that an A+ plus AB- could result to an offspring with an AB- blood type. But since I'm no expert, this could flawed, too. Forgive me. I am not also sure about how blood donation is processed at a hospital. I might be wrong about the volunteers and all. Sorry. :|

6-4-14: I changed Naruto's and Menma's blood type from AB- to a B-, lessening their options for transfusion to only B- and O-. It also fits, since Naruto's bloodtype, according to databook is actually B. Thanks again to Flameraven1 for helping me.


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